How to Find the Right Virtual Office: 6 Factors to Consider

Bethesda, MD

What to Look for When Vetting Virtual Office Spaces

You’ve decided that a virtual office space is the right fit for your small business. But, with so many options, it’s not always easy to find the right fit. Selecting the perfect space is even trickier when you live and work in a large metropolitan area overflowing with choices.

When you set out to find a virtual office space, use these 6 factors to guide your search. By the time you’re finished comparing providers, you’ll have found the perfect home for your company.

1. Location, location, location

Look for an office in a central and convenient location that’s easily accessible for you, your team and any visiting clients. If parking is important, you’ll also want to confirm availability.

Intelligent Office (IO) virtual offices are located in desirable business districts throughout North America. Many cities have multiple locations, and that means you can work from whichever space makes most sense for your needs. IO members are free to utilize all locations in the network, a perk that’s especially handy for traveling professionals.

2. The technology you need to get work done

Any virtual office space you consider needs to have the equipment and technology required to get work done and grow your business.

Technology needs vary drastically from business to business. At the bare minimum, make sure a space has reliable high-speed internet and functioning printers and scanners. Depending on your business, you might also need fax machines, conference phones and other tools.

3. Comfortable conference and meeting rooms

In addition to different types of office space, virtual offices also have conference and meeting rooms that members can book on an as-needed basis.

Even if you think you’ll ever need to use these spaces, check them out during your tour. As your business grows and you gain more customers, meeting rooms could become an essential amenity.

4. Understand what you’re paying for

Every virtual office space is different in terms of what’s included with your monthly payment. For example:

Some virtual offices allow endless printing and copying, while others have limits.

Some spaces include a virtual address and mailbox with membership, others price that as an added service.

At IO, we use à la carte pricing. This means you only pay for exactly what you need, and nothing that you don’t.

5. Flexible membership terms

Some virtual office providers want members to commit to a long-term lease, others permit more flexible arrangements. With that in mind, don’t forget to ask plenty of questions about the membership and/or leasing agreement.

At IO, we spend a lot of time connecting business owners and other professionals to the spaces and services they need most. Over the years, we’ve learned a thing or two about the features and amenities that our members feel are essential to getting their best work done.

Once you’ve used the 5 factors listed above to narrow down your virtual office search to a handful of spaces, be sure to click the link above to learn about 6 (more) signs you’ve finally found the perfect virtual office space.

Countless small business owners rely on remote assistants or offsite receptionists to help with critical organizational duties. While some are content to offload simple tasks to self-employed, stay-at-home support people, others demand more comprehensive services...NULL

While the traditional virtual assistant is likely to work from home, an executive-level virtual assistant is part of a greater brick-and-mortar presence. This fundamental difference opens the door for extensive training opportunities that broaden the professional's support capabilities.

Work has changed. In an age of instant communication, cloud-based applications, and workplace versatility, the era of the traditional office culture has come to an end. Providers of virtual offices, executive suites and co-working spaces have effectively liberated the nation’s work culture, adding dynamic and energizing new choices...

For entrepreneurs and small business owners, navigating the tricky terrain of creating a sound business plan, forecasting for growth and developing an operative growth strategy can be a major challenge. Fortunately, American entrepreneurs and operators have access to one of the most effective resources in the worldwide market...

Navigating the complex terrain of creating a sound business plan, forecasting for growth and developing an operative growth strategy can be a challenge for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Fortunately, American entrepreneurs have access to one of the most effective resources in the world via the Small Business Administration (SBA). ... Click to read more

Congratulations! You have gotten your small business up and running. Now what? This part of our four-part series on leveraging the Small Business Administration to help you launch and manage a small business will focus on the operational aspects of running a business. Whether you need leadership strategies, day-to-day decision making skills ... Click to read more

Understanding marketing and sales as well as the technical complexity of our Internet-driven society gives entrepreneurs a distinct advantage over the competition. This final segment of our four-part report will take a deeper dive into the logistics and philosophy of marketing and sales and their impact on your business success. ... Click to read more

If a business isn’t marketing, its potential customers are not finding it. Small to medium size businesses often struggle with spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on marketing. New DIY marketing tools, however, have eliminated the need to spend astronomical amounts on online and traditional marketing. These tools ... Click to read more

Law firms (large and small) and solo legal practitioners alike can use virtual office services and spaces to run their entire legal operations or as a supplement to a home office or traditional brick-and-mortar offices. Virtual office services can be particularly useful during trial preparation... Click to read more

Finance and tax professionals, whether they work solo or as part of a larger firm, can use virtual office spaces and services to stay on top of their workloads, especially during the busy tax season. Professional virtual office spaces can be particularly useful when back-to-back client meetings are necessary...

As business people and entrepreneurs continually strive to grow their business, doing so frequently involves traveling around the country to attend networking or tradeshow events, meeting clients and prospects on their own turf, and getting some face-time with colleagues, contractors or employees who may operate in a remote location. Preparation... Click to read more

Have you ever wondered why some small businesses are successful and others are not and what do these successful companies do to gain an edge over their competition? Through our years of experience... Click to read more